Leicester City has experienced one of the most amazing stories in English football over the past ten years.
One of the most incredible feats in the history of top-flight football, from being promoted to the Premier League before the 2014–15 season and escaping relegation against all odds, to winning the league title the following season.
Leicester would even win the FA Cup for the first time in 2021 after multiple trips to Europe. But for Leicester, who were already having financial difficulties because of the Covid outbreak, this victory would be the beginning of the end.
It was not surprising that Leicester struggled in the 2022–23 season, being demoted back to the Championship, as the number of departures outweighed new arrivals.
While some ex-players, like Ben Chilwell and Wesley Fofana, brought the team a ton of cash, some ex-players have since reflected poorly on the squad because they were never given the chance to make an impression in the first team.
Who has recently departed Leicester City?
The Foxes needed a financial lift, so they looked to player sales for assistance. Star defender Ben Chilwell was one of the first players to go after his team won the FA Cup, and their opponents in the championship game, Chelsea, paid a significant £50 million sum for him.
In addition to losing some of its top players in recent years, Leicester also parted ways with some of their up-and-coming players, a decision that some of them may come to regret given that one of the reasons for their relegation was due to a lack of squad depth.
Nigerian international defender Calvin Bassey is one player who departed the Leicester organization and went on to better things.
When was Calvin Bassey sold by Leicester?
Bassey advanced through the ranks at Leicester, playing for both the U18 and U21 teams, but was never given the opportunity to play for the first team before leaving.
Scottish club Rangers said in June 2020 that they had reached an agreement on a pre-contract signing for Bassey, who was 20 years old.
Bassey played 15 times in all competitions during his first season in Scotland, with seven of those games coming in the league as Rangers went undefeated and reached a club-record 102 points to win their first championship in ten years.
Then what would Bassey do?
The following season, Bassey started to firmly establish himself in Rangers’ starting lineup after displaying encouraging signs during his short appearances on the field during the 2020–21 campaign.
He participated in 50 games across all competitions as Rangers won the Scottish Cup and advanced to the Europa League final before being soundly defeated by Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties.
Despite losing in the Europa League final, Bassey was one of the better players on the field and received plaudits online for his season-long performances at left-back.
Joshua Bunting, a football journalist, praised his efforts on Twitter, writing: “Bassey has been a monster tonight, outstanding performance.”
Numerous elite clubs on the continent expressed interest in the Rangers full-back in the summer of 2022, but Ajax ultimately won the contract.
The Dutch team bet a club record £23 million on the defender, demonstrating their belief in his star potential.
Bassey played the majority of the season in Amsterdam under various managers despite a terrible start that resulted in his dismissal after just 15 minutes of play. The team valued his versatility because he could play wherever throughout the defensive back line.
What has become of Calvin Bassey?
The 23-year-old jewel had already demonstrated some of the talent that Rangers had discovered, but Bassey was advised to leave Ajax by new manager Maurice Steijn because the team needed to raise money.
Three years after leaving Leicester City, Bassey returned to England during the last summer transfer window. The defender was acquired by Fulham in July for a fee of £19 million, an increase of 8160.87% over what Rodgers paid for him three years earlier and covering the majority of the money Ajax spent on him a year earlier.
Bassey expressed his joy at being back in his hometown after arriving, saying:
“I didn’t have to give it much thought because they were competing in the Premier League, the top league in the world.
Being at home is usually advantageous because this club is also in London.
It is evident that Fulham also sees a future in the player because they paid a very large fee for him.
Bassey may not have performed to the standards expected of him during his time at Ajax, but a move to a solid mid-table Premier League team can provide him the chance to establish himself in England’s top division after never having the chance while at Leicester.
It’s possible that Bassey’s decision to join Rangers three years ago was essential to his growth as a player given that his former team is now playing in the Championship.
To advance in his career and establish himself as a starting defender for a Premier League team, the 6 foot 1 defender appears to be a wonderful fit for Marco Silva’s exciting Fulham team
